Music
Policy
January 2015
To be reviewed
January 2018
Music Policy
Introduction
This policy outlines the teaching, management and organisation of Music at St. Nicholas-atWade CE Primary School.
“Music is our daily medicine which aids far better communication with others and ourselves.” Evelyn Glennie
OBE, percussionist (re-printed in 1999 National Curriculum)
“Without music, life would be a mistake.” Friedrich Nietzsche
Mission Statement
At St. Nicholas –at – Wade we believe that all pupils deserve and need a fully rounded
curriculum to become confident and independent lifelong learners. Music is something which
can enrich lives, promotes creativity and affects people in many different ways. Our children are
given many opportunities to perform which gives them greater confidence in their academic
subjects. We hope to instil a love of music and performance in all our children.
Key Aims and Objectives
Aims
1. Children to gain a love of music
2. Children to experience the selfconfidence which comes from
performing in front of others
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3. To listen to, perform, review a
wide variety of music.
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4. To learn to sing and use their
voices
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Objectives
To inspire creativity in the children.
To promote the pleasure to be gained
from listening to and performing a
wide variety of musical genres.
Performance built into curriculum
music lessons.
Children who are learning an
instrument at school to be given
chances to perform.
All children to be involved in a school
production each year.
Staff having access to CDs and being
able to use the internet to find music.
Children to realise that there is life
beyond X-Factor and other talent
shows.
To appreciate something of the
development and history of music.
Singing Club and School Choir
available for all children to attend
should they wish to do so.
Singing during Collective Worship
and Church services.
5. To have the opportunity to learn
to play a musical instrument
6. To have opportunities to create
and compose music
7. To understand the language of
music and to be able to notate it
appropriately
8. To use ICT in support of the
music curriculum
 Singing forms a major part of school
productions.
 Recorder club available to children in
Classes 3 – 6 should they wish to
attend.
 Music Plus in Class 3.
 Opportunity to learn guitar in Class 6.
 Peripatetic music teachers visit school
on a weekly basis
 Use of Music Express for class-based
lessons.
 Kindermusik in use for Reception and
KS1
 Access to wide variety of tuned and
un-tuned instruments.
 Musical terms used during singing
practices
 Kindermusik in Reception and KS1
 Children in Class 5 taught formal
notation.
 ipads used to record and playback
music for evaluation purposes
 Computers and recording devices also
used for this purpose
 Access to electric keyboards.
Curriculum
Our music curriculum is wide and varied. Reception and KS1 children are taught through the
Kindermusik scheme. In Year 3 the children are taught to play an instrument through the Music
Plus scheme. In Years 4, 5 and 6 a cross-curricular approach is pursued so that, where possible,
the music the children experience has relevance to their topics.
As far as possible in KS2 lessons are taught using Music Express so that children experience
composition, performance and evaluation on a regular basis.
School Productions
During their time at St Nicholas at Wade children will perform in 7 school productions. They
leave us having experienced what it is like to perform in front of an audience, coping with the
nervousness which an unfamiliar situation can bring but more importantly benefitting from a
huge increase in self-esteem. They also learn that music production don’t just ‘happen’, but that
an enormous amount of work goes on behind the scenes, not least in the amount of time needed
for rehearsal and practice.
In Classes R and 1, children participate in a Nativity in our school hall. They give three
performances – one to the school and the others to parents. The production for Classes 2 and 3
gives children an opportunity to perform not only in the school hall, but also on the stage at the
Village Centre in Birchington. In Classes 4, 5 and 6 the focus is the summer production. They
give a performance in the school hall before heading to the Theatre Royal in Margate and giving
a performance with a professional orchestra.
Extra-curricular music
All children at St Nicholas at Wade are given the opportunity to sing and learn a musical
instrument. Children in Reception class and KS1 are able to come along to Singing Club which
runs during Terms 5 and 6. KS2 children can attend Junior Choir which runs throughout the
year. We also run a recorder club which is open for all children in Classes 3 – 6. These activities
take place at lunchtimes throughout the year and mean that all children at school, should they
wish to do so, can sing in a choir and learn a musical instrument.
Identifying Gifted and Talented Pupils
Children who are particularly gifted at music are given opportunities to perform in school
concerts and other performances. Gifted children are sometimes identified by peripatetic
teachers and through Music Plus in year 3. These pupils are offered further tuition through the
school.
Equal opportunities
We aim to provide all pupils with equality of access to a broad and balanced music curriculum,
irrespective of gender, ethnicity or special educational needs. Staff are aware that just because a
child is not particularly ‘academic’ they may be talented in music.
Additional Educational Needs/Special Educational Needs
All pupils will have access to the full National Curriculum for music. Pupils with specific
learning difficulties and disabled pupils will be provided with modified learning programmes,
resources and equipment appropriate to their needs. For most pupils curriculum access will be
enabled through the use of modified teaching methods and the deployment of learning support
assistants.
This policy should be read in line with our Teaching and Learning policy and Subject leader job
description.
Written By: Paul Ainsworth (Jan 2015)
Approved by governors:
To be reviewed: Jan 2018